1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to reciprocating mechanisms. More specifically, the present invention relates to spinning-reel reciprocating mechanisms for, in response to rotation of the rotor, reciprocating a spool that is mounted in a reel unit of the spinning reel such that the spool is shiftable front and rear.
2. Background Information
A spinning reel in general has a reel unit, a rotor rotatably supported by the reel unit, and a spool outer-circumferentially around which fishing line winds. The rotor includes a pair of arm portions, and in between the two arm portions is provided with a bail that can be shifted between line-guiding and line-releasing postures. Further, a line roller for guiding fishing line to be wound onto an outer periphery of the spool during line retrieval is provided at the fore end of one of the arm portions.
Spinning reels of this sort are provided with an oscillating mechanism (one example of a reciprocating mechanism) for winding fishing line that is guided by a bail and a line roller onto the outer periphery of the spool uniformly in the front-to-rear direction. The oscillating mechanism is installed in the interior of the reel unit, and includes: a worm disposed in parallel with a spool shaft onto which the spool is fitted; a transmission mechanism for rotating the worm in response to rotation of the rotor; a slider that engages the worm, and two guide shafts that guide the slider in the front and rear directions.
Crisscrossing helically-shaped grooves are formed on the circumferential periphery of the worm. The transmission mechanism includes an intermediate gear fixed to the worm. The intermediate gear meshes with a pinion gear that rotates the rotor in response to cranking of the handle. The pinion gear meshes with a face gear furnished on the handle shaft, and rotates through rotation of the handle. The slider is fitted onto the rear end of the spool shaft. An engagement pin that engages the helical grooves is detachably and reattachably mounted on the slider so as to be pivotable about its shaft. The engagement pin ordinarily is disposed horizontally paralleling the diametric direction of the worm, with the fore end of the engagement pin being oriented toward the worm. The two guide shafts are disposed astride above and below the worm.
Due to the engagement pin in the oscillating mechanism engaging the helical grooves on the worm that rotates in response to rotation of the handle, the slider is guided on the two guide shafts and reciprocates along the worm. Via the slider""s reciprocating along the worm, the spool shaft and the spool also reciprocate likewise. By the spool being reciprocated synchronously with the rotor in response to rotating operation of the handle, fishing line is wound uniformly onto the outer circumference of the spool.
Recently, there has been a need to reduce the size of reel unit for spinning reels having thus-configured oscillating mechanism. In order to reduce the size of the reel unit, the oscillating mechanism installed in the reel unit interior must be correspondingly reduced in size. Nevertheless, since the two guide shafts in conventional oscillating mechanisms are disposed astride above and below the worm, a space for accommodating the guide shaft has to be secured beneath the worm. Accordingly, it has been difficult to reduce the size of the reel unit.
In view of the above, there exists a need for a spinning-reel reciprocating mechanism which overcomes the above mentioned problems in the prior art. This invention addresses this need in the prior art as well as other needs, which will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure.
An object of the present invention is to allow reduction of size of the reel unit of a spinning reel that has a reciprocating mechanism.
A spinning-reel reciprocating mechanism according to a first aspect of the invention is a mechanism that, in response to rotation of the rotor, reciprocates a spool that is mounted on a reel unit of the spinning-reel so as to be shiftable in a front-rear direction, and is furnished with a worm, a sliding member, a rotation-transmitting part, a first guide shaft member, and a second guide member. The worm, which is a shaft rotatably supported by the reel unit, is disposed diagonally beneath and paralleling a spool shaft coupled to the spool. Crisscrossing helical grooves are formed on the circumferential periphery of the worm. The sliding member, which is a component coupled to the spool shaft immovably in at least its axial direction, has an engagement member that engages the helical grooves, and a mounting portion that rotatably supports the engagement member extending from the radial outer side of the worm toward the helical grooves, such that the engagement member engages the helical grooves. The rotation-transmitting part is for transmitting rotation of the rotor to the worm. The first guide member is disposed on a side of the engagement member opposite the side closer to the worm. The first guide member guides the sliding member in the direction of the spool shaft. The second guide member is disposed above the worm, and guides the sliding member in the direction of the spool shaft.
In this spinning-reel reciprocating mechanism, when the rotor rotates in response to cranking of the handle, the rotation is transmitted via the rotation-transmitting part to the worm. Accordingly, the worm rotates. Then, the sliding member, guided on the first and second guide members by the engagement member being engaged with the worm, reciprocates back and forth, thereby reciprocating the spool back and forth and winding the fishing line uniformly onto the spool. Herein, the worm is disposed diagonally beneath the spool shaft, while the first guide member is disposed on the side of the engagement member opposite the side closer to the worm. Accordingly, there is no need for a space beneath the worm to accommodate the guide member. As a result, it is possible to reduce the size of the reel unit.
The reciprocating mechanism according to a second aspect of the invention is the mechanism set forth in the first aspect, wherein the sliding member includes an opposing portion that opposes a portion of the outer circumference of the worm. In this case, rather than covering the entire periphery of the worm, the sliding member guided by the guide members is furnished with just the opposing portion, so that the sliding member may be reduced in size and the reel unit can be made even smaller.
A spinning-reel reciprocating mechanism according to a third aspect of the invention is the mechanism set forth in either the first or second aspects, wherein the rotation-transmitting part has an intermediate gear. The intermediate gear is fitted immovably to the worm and meshes with a pinion gear for rotating the rotor in response to cranking of the handle. In this case, since the intermediate gear is made diametrically larger to make the space between the spool shaft and the worm larger, it is possible to bring the engagement member closer toward the worm. This leaves a leeway spatially on the side of the engagement member opposite the side closer to the worm, which makes it possible to make the reel unit even smaller.
These and other objects, features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, which, taken in conjunction with the annexed drawings, discloses a preferred embodiment of the present invention.